


Homecoming

by Legendsofkrypton



Series: Appearances are Deceiving [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst and Fluff Mixed Together, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-17 02:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11266506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legendsofkrypton/pseuds/Legendsofkrypton
Summary: A week after Barry was finally reunited with his uncle, he gets an offer which is rather enticing.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> I have a number of ideas to do:  
> Axel!!  
> Christmas/Halloween  
> Team Flash find out  
> Team Rogues finds out about Wells  
> Oliver.....dundundun  
> Captain Singh finds out (but doesn't care except drama)  
> The backlash of Barry not being able to save Nora.
> 
> Also, Eddie will be alive in this series (he's also team Barry)

“You been eating enough Bar?” Mick grumbles lightly as he eyes his nephew for the first time in a week since they had found each other.

The Scarlet hero had been rushed off of his feet since the break out of STAR Labs orchestrated by the hero in question, the idiot team that he had conned had sent him off on a non stop mission to collect the ones that had 'gotten away'. None of them could make sense of the fact that Simmons was still locked up in his cell while the rest were let out but then Caitlin tried to give him some food and get some information out of him and nearly found herself dead; they soon assumed that he was too much of a dick to take with them.

Barry stumbled into his uncles safe house after they finally decided that the meta's were laying low so Barry could sleep soundly, or Wells could sleep soundly anyway because he was all about finding and locking Hartley up and throwing away the key again.

“I eat enough” Barry shrugged, he was living off of a cops salary and eating himself out of house and home, he was tempted to go live with Joe but he didn't want to risk it any more. While he would probably get free food, he would still have to deal with Joe and his questions.

“And what's the definition of enough to you Scarlet?” Snart drawled in question from behind the speedster, who jumped and cursed inside his head at not keeping an eye on his surroundings like Oliver had taught him.

Scowling at the cold criminal, Barry shrugged again and dropped down onto the couch of the cozy safe house, a quick scan of the room told him everything he needed to know. Four of the five meta's that he had broke free were still staying with the two criminals; he wasn't surprised that Nimbus had up and left, the hitman had promised Barry that his secret was safe with him but he wanted out of Central and away from those who would lock him up again.

Although Mardon and Bivolo HAD surprised him. Mark had seemed to calm as soon as he had heard Barry's 'Origin' story, who knew the elemental was a secret comic nerd, he had sat down with the hero and assured him he was safe around him as long as he didn't become like his foster father; while Roy just didn't care, he was more interested in what other colours he could control and what they meant so Barry promised to make a pocket device that flashed so that the effects of his powers were neutralised as soon as he wanted them gone.

Shawna needed a place to stay because of what happened with her boyfriend so she accepted Len's offer to be their little make shift medic in exchange for staying with them, it also didn't hurt that Lisa had almost immediately latched onto the idea of having another girl on their crew and started showing her age by talking fashion and gossip which had made Len and Mick grin a little.

And then there was Hartley; Len, Mick and Barry all stated that there was no way that the younger man was leaving.

Len and Mick knew of the verbal abuse the young man had gone through with his parents because of his sexuality, that was the main reason they had gone after the Rathaway's when they wanted to introduce Mick into the scene, Len had known about the reaction to their heir's sexuality and decided to kill two birds with one stone; the fact that it was a paint about fire and ice was just a bonus.

They had wanted to make sure the young man was looked after as soon as they read about his altercation with the Flash and the fact that he had gained the loyalty of Barry as Barry had caught his loyalty was an added bonus of it all.

Barry wanted to make sure that the scientist was looked after, Hartley had somehow caught his attention a few days after they had gotten him in the pipeline, he was brilliant to talk too and bounce ideas off so he wanted to make sure he was safe so that he could keep his science partner. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

“Bartholomew” Mick warned as he moved away from the kitchen and over to where his nephew stood in front of his husband, he knew his nephew well enough to know when he was hiding things and the fact that he had kept his head down to answer Len and wouldn't look him in the eye was rather telling.

Wincing lightly at the use of his full name, Barry moved his gaze up to his uncle who was gazing down at him with a look that used to make him blab whatever he was hiding in an instant. His mom would always call her brother whenever he was hiding something from his parents and no matter how much coaxing, they just couldn't get him to answer them.

“Enough that I don't collapse from hypoglycaemia” Barry offers with a mumble, he knew he needed to eat more but he never had the time or sometimes didn't have enough money to get himself enough food to last him until his next paycheck. So he would either push himself to the brink or he would give up and use one or two of Cisco's disgusting bars since they were free and held the amount of calories that he needed to keep going on Well's mission.

The fact that both Mick and Leonard had spotted something was wrong the moment he entered the house astounded him, he had spent nearly every moment outside of work around 'Team Flash' and yet none of them noticed that he was under the weather, not even his 'dad' or the doctor of the team.

Just showed how lucky he was to have Mick in his life.

Whining lightly at the sharp pain that erupted across the back of his head, Barry pouts as he scowls over at Leonard.

After finding out that Leonard Snart and his uncle had been married since a couple of years into their partnership, Barry had taken to watching and cataloguing every movement, gesture and look of the men, either between them or at each other while the other wasn't looking and Barry could plainly see just how much his uncle loved the punny criminal and how much Len loved his fiery partner.

Once they settled with a plan to keep the meta's safe, Len had dragged Barry to the kitchen and sat him down with some food because he was 'too skinny' which made his uncle roll his eyes in amusement while Lisa just cackled and dropped down next to the speedster before declaring him 'adorable so now hers'.

The Snart siblings were the complete opposite to what he had expected and he had gained a deeper insight into the both of them in the two hours that he was able to spend with his uncle before being called away by the idiots back at STAR Labs.

Len was so easy to talk too and exchanging puns was just spectacular, because neither of them were willing to give up and had even dragged the others into it by using their affinities or their nicknames as ways to make new puns to out do the other. In the end Len won, but Barry quipped that it was because he was old and needed a hobby.

That had sent Lisa into a giggle fit which seemed to be a rare occurrence because Len looked shock for the briefest of moments before rolling his eyes in mock annoyance and then pointed the spatula he was holding at Barry and told him if he was old then he had rights to elders respect so Barry was to respect him or suffer the consequences.

Barry had laughed at him because he could see the teasing in the ice blue eyes and the fond look his uncle had sent his way, he remembered the last bit like it was yesterday because it both allowed Hartley to feel at ease around the older men but it also set in stone the type of man Len would be in his life from now on.

_'What are you going to do old man, spank me?' he taunted with a giddy grin, he hadn't laughed this long in months._

_Len startled slightly at the taunt, his eyes widening slightly in surprise before a smirk graced his lips, his eyes drifting over Barry's shoulder with a small nod._

_Barry yelped in surprise as a strong pair of arms lifted him up from the chair he'd been pushed into, and he found himself thrown over someone's shoulder and carried back towards the couch; Len had a smirk on his face as he moved from behind the counter twirling the spatula, while Lisa hopped up from the chair and followed with a curious look on her face._

_'Uncle Mick, no fair' Barry pouted and then squeaked as he was dropped onto the couch, he went to climb up from where he was dropped only for Mick to wink at him and grab his shoulders before Len was on his legs._

_Then they started tickling him._

_'No' Barry squealed as he tried to get out of the men's grips, laughter escaping him as he twisted and turned, trying to get out of their hold._

_He could hear Lisa laughing again, but this time she was joined by the others who had found the scene in front of them extremely amusing._

_'Hartley help!' Barry laughed as he tried to catch a hold of one of Len's hands so that he had a tiny reprieve from the attack, he could hear when the young man's laughter hitched slightly and then let out a bark of laughter as Len yelped._

_Hartley jumped on the cold criminal after receiving a nod from Lisa and Mick and decided to be nice and help the speedster, only for the tables to turn._

_'Looks like we already got mutiny Mick' Len smirked as he flipped Hartley around so that he landed almost on top of Barry and sat on him as well, the weight of Hartley holding Barry down and the weight of Len holding the young scientist down._

_'Mutiny ain't held lightly here Piper' Mick commented seriously but Barry could see the mischief in his uncles eyes before the both men started their attack again, this time Mick held onto Barry as he squirmed, knowing the best spots to aim; while Len brought Hartley into the fray and started his tickle attack on the scientist who was gasping mercy through his laughter._

_Len sat up from the scientist with a small smirk and held a hand out for him to pull him up from where he was trying to catch his breath atop of the leather clad man._

_'Lesson of the day kid, don't listen to Barry, he'll just get you into trouble' Mick tells him with a grin as he helps Barry up and ruffles his hair._

“How's Hartley doing?” Barry asks to try and get the attention off of him, he knew it hadn't worked because both men scowled at him but he wanted to know anyway.

“He's doing better” Mick grunts lightly as he moves to the open kitchen they had and started putting together a big, but healthy sandwich for the hero.

Len ruffled Barry's hair lightly before using the hand on his head to move him through the house and over to where his husband was making lunch for the young man, catching Mick's eye, he flicks his gaze to the basement where Hartley had been allowed to stay considering it was like a small studio apartment down there. The scientist needed to eat too.

Mick nods and started to make the bespectacled boy his favourite.

When Nora died, he never expected to have a chance to be with his nephew again, the knew the kid had almost gone into the system but he had no right or means to find out what had happened to him; he had met with Henry a few times because he couldn't always get away with his heists and both had made a comment about the well being of the only innocent they had left in their family, but neither could help him.

But now Mick had that chance, he had missed out on years of watching his nephew become the man he is today, which is something he will never forgive himself for, but now he had his husband to share this feeling with; Len was finally able to know his secret, before now it was just too hard to speak about his baby sister. Not only did Mick have his husband and his nephew, but both he and Len seemed to have gained a kid too.

Hartley was young and broken, he needed help but couldn't go to anyone for it, he never had someone to turn too when he needed it but now he had Mick and Len. And Barry. Neither criminal was going to let the young man leave without making sure he was safe, that he was healed from whatever he was put through and not without knowing he had someone to turn to if it was needed.

“You still debating about keeping your apartment?” Mick asks his nephew as he slides a plate in front of him and then passes a plate to Len, gesturing that it was his while he continued to make Hartleys.

Barry licked his lips at the sandwich and didn't realise just how hungry he was, but he wasn't going to prove his family correct in their assumptions that he wasn't looking after himself so made himself eat slow and savour the flavours that assaulted his tastebuds.

“Yeah, don't know if I want to keep staying there, it's not like I stay there that much” he shrugged

“Why don't you just stay here, we have the room, this place is under one of our unknown alias' and it has more than enough room” Leonard offers before taking a bite out of his food, he'd already started making a room up for the speedster, it was close to the door but also close to the master bedroom and the stairs to the basement “You'll have us and the others around as well so you won't be lonely”

Barry just blinked in shock at the offer before turning to look at his uncle who just shrugged as he finished making the other sandwiches, he wouldn't mind Barry being close, so it was always a yes on his part.

“You re-”

A scream cut Barry off which made all three men jump, Barry was suddenly crackling with electricity as Len somehow ended up with a gun in his hand and Mick had one of his knives ready to strike.

It took all three of them only seconds to realise where the scream had come from and all three of them raced through the house and down to the basement where Hartley was curled up in his bed, clutching his ears as he thrashed; he was clearly asleep.

Barry was by his side in a millisecond, and carefully pulls the young mans hands away from his ears as Len and Mick moved to hold him down just in case he thrashed and hit Barry away, it was clear to the speedster that it was a phantom pain.

The dark haired boy still had his aids in, so the only logical explanation was a nightmare about that night; Barry knew all about those types of nightmares, he still woke up some nights twitching and writhing as the feel of lighting burning every single nerve ending in his body assaulted him, but he knew that it was just a lingering pain, a way of his body protesting against the changes he had gone through and the way he had gone through them.

“Easy Hart” Barry whispers soothingly as he moves so that he was more or less wrapped around the other boy, he knew from experience that having someone close by was helpful with nightmares, although the last time he had someone help him through the nightmares like his was when his mom was still alive.

“Hartley” Leonard calls carefully as he moves forward to where Hartley was facing, he holsters his gun and places his hand on the young mans shoulder to try and wake him while Mick does the same on his ankle.

Three points of contact. That was what Hartley had been drawn out of his nightmares by, usually he was forced to suffer through the entire night, from start to finish, but he was still a while away before he had blacked out originally. It was three points of pressure that drew him back to reality, a weight on his shoulder, his ankle and all along his back which made him whimper in confusion as the linger shocks run through him.

Blinking, Hartley looked around him confused as he spotted Len and the Mick, then he noticed who was holding him and he couldn't help the small amount of blush that rose to his cheeks before he allowed the emotions of the night to overwhelm him, he curled up into Barry's chest and sobbed for all the pain and suffering that Harrison Wells put him through.

Barry's heart broke at the sight of the strong willed man break and ran his hands through the untidy black hair before looking up at Len and Mick.

“When can I move in?”

 

 


End file.
